“We need a huge correction in the media in terms of who we consider experts and valuable sources of perspective. Climate justice is about Indigenous people, for example, having a seat at the table and truly being listened to on questions of climate policy. It doesn’t mean just bringing them onstage at the UN in traditional clothes, hearing about how awful it is where they live, and then carrying on as usual when they’re gone. Justice is not a box to check. We need to have the humility, both on the world stage and as journalists, to understand that there are different experiences out there and different ways of thinking. There are different kinds of knowledge and expertise, and they don’t all come from Ivy League schools. We need to go into these environmental justice communities and be willing to learn. Which takes time!”

-- Nina Lakhani, senior reporter at The Guardian, “Q&A: Guardian climate justice reporter Nina Lakhani asks who should own the climate narrative”

Is your newsroom hosting interns in D.C. this fall? Lewis Scholarship applications are open!

The Club and the Institute are currently accepting applications for the Fall 2023 Lewis Scholarship. This opportunity, which began in 2023, provides free housing and a monthly stipend to support student journalists of color who plan to intern at news media outlets in Washington, D.C.

Please share this application with the student journalists in your network.

The Lewis Scholarship has an estimated value of $10,000 and will be awarded to one undergraduate student journalist of color each fall, spring, and summer semester. The scholarship will provide a stipend of $1,000 per month and free housing provided through Washington Intern Student Housing for the duration of the student’s internship, usually four months. The deadline to apply is July 20, 2023.